2011 end of term report – Jenson Button

Unlike his teammate Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button had a satisfying season in 2011. The 2009 World Champion impressed the observers with both his driving and attitude. Runner-up to Vettel, he definitely silenced those who predicted him a tough time in ‘Hamilton’s den’.

Season review

Jenson Button didn’t know what to expect when he turned up in Australia for the first round of the season. The level of performance of his McLaren was a big unknown after a difficult winter, but last-minute changes worked wonders and the MP4-26 turned out to be the 2nd fastest car on the grid.

He qualified fourth on the grid but had a difficult race. He was given a drive-through for cutting a corner and gaining an advantage from it. He didn’t have the chance to give back the position to Felipe Massa as the Brazilian was passed by his teammate Fernando Alonso. He crossed the line in 6th place.
In Malaysia, his smooth driving style helped him to take 2nd behind race-winner Sebastian Vettel.

In China, the McLaren driver qualified on the front row of the grid but made a rare mistake during the race. As he came in for a tyre change, he briefly stopped in front of Red Bull’s garage… It only cost him a couple of seconds and he finished in 4th position.

The Briton’s strategy didn’t work out as expected in Turkey and he took 6th on the finish line. He was 3rd in Spain despite a poor start. In the streets of Monaco, he started from the front row of the grid and was fighting for the win until the race was red-flagged. He eventually finished 3rd.

Button had his best race of the year in Canada. Seventh on the starting grid, he made five stops and had collisions with Hamilton and Alonso. He was also given a drive-through penalty for speeding behind the Safety Car. Despite all these problems, he made the most of the drying conditions in the final part of the race to close the gap to the leader and pass him in the final lap.

The next three races were less successful for the Briton. He finished sixth in Valencia and retired in Great-Britain (loose wheel) and Germany (hydraulic problem).

In Hungary, he celebrated his 200th Grand Prix in the best way. On a wet track, he took the win after a great fight with his teammate Lewis Hamilton. He was on the podium in Belgium, Italy and Singapore. His consistency saw him move up to 2nd in the drivers’ championship.

He took another win in Japan but couldn’t deprive Vettel of a second consecutive world title. Button missed the podium in Korea but finished in the top three of the last three races.

Conclusion

Button’s smooth driving style was a perfect match for the new Pirelli tyres. He got stronger through the season and impressed with his attitude and his race craft. He scored 12 podiums, including three wins, and finished runner-up to Sebastian Vettel.
More importantly, he seemed to gain the ascendancy over his teammate Hamilton.
He renewed his contract with McLaren for three more seasons.

Highs
—  12 podiums including 3 wins
—  Great attitude
—  Canadian Grand Prix

Lows
—  Mistake in China
—  No pole position
—  Retirements in Great-Britain and Germany

Nextgen-Auto.com marks :
— Oliver Ferret : 17/20
— D.Thys : 17/20
— Sandrine Bouchard : 17/20
— Jean-Michel Setbon : 17/20
— Average mark on the forum Nextgen-Auto.com : 18/20
—  Total : 86/100